Red Cross halts some blood collection

Published 5:09 pm, Sunday, September 13, 2009

STAMFORD -- The Connecticut region of the American Red Cross has halted all double-red cell blood collections as the organization works with the state to determine if its procedures are safe.

Red Cross blood workers approached the state a few months ago, saying they had legal and ethical concerns about unlicensed personnel performing double-red collection.

The double-red procedure takes two units of red cells from the donor, separates the plasma, then returns the plasma and a saline solution intravenously to the donor.

After an investigation, the state Department of Public Health wrote in a letter to the Connecticut Red Cross, that because double-red involves returning foreign substance, such as sodium chloride solution, to a donor, it must be performed by a licensed professional.

"Those are the standards of care in Connecticut," department spokesman William Gerrish said. He said he could not comment further because the state's investigation is pending.

Donna Morrissey, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut region of the Red Cross, said in further communications with the DPH, the department has agreed the Red Cross can have unlicensed personnel, known as phlebotomists, to continue double-red collection.

The collection has remained frozen, however, due to continued concerns from the staff, Morrissey said.

"We feel our highly trained staff is qualified and competent to do this work safely," she said. "Non-licensed staff perform these procedures all across the country."

The Red Cross workers, however, who comprise the American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees Local 3145, said the health department's action validates their concern that the Red Cross' insistence on using unlicensed personnel to perform certain blood procedures poses a public safety threat and leaves workers liable to legal action.

Local 3145 represents 225 blood collection workers in Connecticut, including licensed staff such as nurses, and unlicensed staff such as phlebotomists, drivers and lab technicians.

"We tried to go through the chain of command "¦ we tried on every level to discuss this with them "¦ but we had two choices ­­-- to let it go or to take our risk," phlebotomist and Local 3145 President Debra Lenentine said. "We are the ones that care about blood safety and donors' safety above all else, even money."

Lenentine said the issue intensified months ago after the union's three-year contract expired March 31 and during negotiations, the Red Cross proposed using supervisors instead of licensed medical professionals to oversee blood drives.

The Red Cross had been using phlebotomists for about five years in double-red collections, she said, but this proposal represented a desire to continue removing medical professionals from the drives.

"In California, an R.N. or L.P.N, is required at every blood drive; that's what we'd like to see the state of Connecticut do," she said.

Each Red Cross Blood Region has dedicated medical staff available 24 hours a day to consult, she added.

The halt on double-red collection is affecting the state's blood bank, Morrissey said, encouraging people to continue whole blood donation. The Red Cross will import blood from out-of-state banks, if necessary, she added.

In the letter, the state Department of Public Health said the Red Cross needs to develop a plan of corrective action by Oct. 1.

Morrissey said the Red Cross will meet with the department this week to discuss the issue.

However, Lenentine said she feared there will be layoffs if the union succeeds in getting enforcing stricter guidelines on blood safety -- "what the company should have been doing all along," she added.

In a Aug. 30 memo to the staff, Paul Sullivan, the Red Cross Connecticut Region chief executive officer, said: "Should the state's ruling stand, the Red Cross may over time hire licensed staff to conduct this work. This effort could both increase the cost to area hospitals and displace a number of our current non-licensed staff who have been ably and safely doing this work for years."

Staff Writer Devon Lash can be reached at 203-964-2242 or devon.lash@scni.com.